I was about five years old when I got my first bike. It was a Christmas present.

Like all good Christmas presents, it required a bit of assembly.

I remember my dad putting it together and putting on the training wheels. I loved that bike. There were three houses on our block, and I used to ride it back and forth for hours at a time.

Once I started to understand how to ride, the day came where Dad took off the training wheels. This led to a few crashes and skinned knees, but as I got the hang of it, I learned one of the most important lessons in my life.

I just didn’t know it at the time.

When you’re riding a bike, it’s not difficult to stay upright as long as you’re moving forward. But staying upright after you stop is almost impossible.

It takes real skill and focus to stay upright when you’re not moving. To be honest, I still can’t do it very well.

But as soon as I start moving forward, it’s easy. As a five-year-old, I even learned to do some tricks. I could get fancy – as long as I was moving.

And that lesson couldn’t be truer in every area of life. Relationships are either moving forward or falling over.

Businesses are either moving forward or falling over.

Your own education is either moving forward or falling over.

You either move forward or you crash. Those are the only two options. It’s impossible to stay upright for long without momentum.

You may not be going in exactly the right direction. It may not be as smooth as you’d like it to be.

In fact, sometimes it’s really bumpy. But as long as you’re moving forward, you’re far more likely to stay upright.

Here’s the point: The best source of learning is action.

Sure, look at the analytics. Review all those fancy charts and graphs. But remember, action is the most important data stream.

And it’s easier to stay upright when you’re moving forward.

So just keep pedaling.

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